Air-cooled outboards are a big industry. There are plenty of them.
They do use Briggs and other lawnmower engines. Mine has a 25hp
Kohler. They are loud. They are not cheap. Why would anyone buy such
a machine? Because, it doesn't need water to cool itself and can run
in mud, hence the term "mudmotors". The first and most famous brand
is the Go-Devil. Why would you run in mud? To go duck hunting
mainly, but also for catching redfish and frogging. Before there were
mudmotors we had mudboats (still do.) They're inboards where the engine
is cooled with a keel cooler or radiator: Here are a few mudmotors to
look at:

http://www.prodriveoutboards.com

http://www.mudbuddy.com

And the Granddaddy of them all, made in Baton Rouge, LA, the Go-Devil:
http://www.go-devil.com

Ed.






Keith Hughes wrote:
And if the disposal time arrives when you're a couple miles from shore?
Oh, and please don't cruise through my marina with that noisemaker,
'cause I'm on the boat to relax :-)

Keith Hughes

Jim Newell wrote:

....they are basically disposable in design.


And, that is kind of what I was thinking...odd as it may sound;

I am kind of smarting from a 1985 Force 85 that crapped out. Faced with
$1,300 to $1,500 for the powerhead, it got me to thinking about what it
would take to make something fairly disposable. That is to say...who cares
if I had to replace a $200 engine every two or three years, as compared with
what I am looking at now.

(Obviously, I am looking at something much slower. I was thinking floating
raft almost.)




"Keith Hughes" wrote in message
...

Jim,


Keith,

.....why *wouldn't* you water cool an engine?


Good question, and the answer is that my original question ultimatley
ends up trying to answer the bigger question.....

But the 'bigger question' seems to be "why not use a gas guzzling, high
polluting, incredibly noisy engine with questionable reliability since the
*initial* cost is lower?". The *only* thing the old air cooled outboards
had going for them (and this relates directly to a Briggs or Tecumseh as
well) was lower purchase price.

Back when the world was young, I did some kart and mini-bike racing, and
I've "rebuilt" quite a few Briggs and Tecumseh motors. Unless they've
changed significantly, they are basically disposable in design. Single
piston ring, no rod or wrist-pin bearings, non-sleaveable non-replaceable
jug, things like that. They would be difficult to "marine-ize" (adding
additional cost as well), and the reliability is just not there.

As someone else posted, look for a deal on a used outboard. From a
reliability perspective, you'd be better off with a 10 year old outboard
(with some minor servicing) than you would with a brand new B&S or
Tecumseh conversion. Remember, you still have to have the shaft casing,
waterproof gear box, shafts, propeller, etc., all of which are going to
add more cost than the B&S or Tecumseh itself.

Good luck!

Keith Hughes